Seattle's El Centro de la Raza

Book excerpt: From its beginnings in Seattle nearly fifty years ago, El Centro de la Raza has been translated as “The Center for People of All Races.” In Seattle’s El Centro de la Raza: Dr. King’s Living Laboratory, Bruce E. Johansen, with valuable aid from Estela Ortega, executive director, and Miguel Maestas, Housing and Development director at El Centro, explores how the center has become part of a nationally significant work in progress on human rights and relations based on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s concept of a “Beloved Community” that crosses all ethnic, racial, and other social boundaries. Johansen’s examination of the history of the center highlights its mission to consciously provide intercultural communication and cooperation as an interracial bridge, uniting people on both a small and a large scale, from neighborhood communities to international relations. Scholars of Latin American studies, race studies, international relations, sociology, and communication will find this book especially useful.